• The efficiency of a physical activity is a result of its:
– duration
– distance and number of repetitions (volume)
– load and velocity (intensity)
– the frequency of performance (density).
The Volume of Training
• the time or the duration of training
• distance covered or weight lifted per unit time
• the number of repetitions of an exercise or technical element performed in a given time
One of the highest priorities of contemporary training is a continuous increase in the volume of training.
– An athlete’s performance improves as a result of :
– increasing the number of training lessons and
– increasing the amount of work accomplished during each lesson.
• Increase the number of training lessons per micro-cycle rather than the volume of work per lesson.
• -In order to accurately evaluate the volume of training it is necessary to select a unit of measurement
– space or distance covered (running)
– load in kg (weight training)
– time (to run 12 km in 60 min)
Two types of volumes that may be calculated:
• Relative Volume: the total amount of time dedicated to training by a group of athletes/team during a specific training lesson or phase of training.
• Absolute Volume: measure of the amount of work performed by an individual athlete per unit of time
Intensity of Training
• The more work performed per unit time, the higher the intensity.
• Intensity is a function of strength of the nervous impulses employed in training;
– the strength of a stimulus depends on the load, speed of performing a movement and the variation of intervals or rest between repetitions.
• The degree of intensity:
– speed in meters/second (m/s) or the rate/minute of performing movement
– resistance in kg or kgm
– team sports rhythm of the game
• To reach certain biomotor abilities, the intensity of a stimulus has reach or exceed a threshold level
Karvonen method:
HRthreshold= HRrest + 0.60 (HRmax - HRrest)
Two types of intensities:
• Absolute intensity : a measure of the percentage of one’s maximum necessary to perform the exercise
• Relative intensity: measures the intensity of a training lesson or micro-cycle, given the absolute intensity and the total volume of work performed in that period.
Relationship between Volume and Intensity
– when a swimmer performs a sprint, the distance and time duration of the event represent measures of the volume while the velocity of performance is the indicator of intensity.
– decreasing the intensity of training may allow the volume of work to be increased more.
Dynamics of Increasing the Volume and Intensity
– during training the athlete’s adaptation and the index of work capacity are increased periodically in steps, not in straight line
Ways of increasing intensity:
1. increasing the velocity of covering a given distance or elevating the load.
2. increasing the ratio between absolute and relative intensity
3. decreasing the rest intervals between repetitions or sets
4. increasing the density of training
5. increasing the number of competitions
Ways of increasing volume:
1. prolonging the duration of a training lesson
2. increasing the number of lessons per training cycle
3. extending the number of repetitions of a given distance
4. by increasing the distance covered in each repetition of training
• The dynamics of training employed depends on three factors:
– The characteristics of the selected sport
– The training environment
– Preparation and the athlete’s level of performance
The overall intensity in training:
OI= (PI.VE)
(VE)
• PI: partial intensity
• VE: volume of exercises
• PI = HRp.100
• HRmax
• HRp: HR resulting from the performance of the exercise
• for boxing for example
• PI = 110.100 = 55 %
• 200
Improvement of the Training State through Rating the Volume and Intensity
• The work performed in training is the cause, the body adaptation is the effect.
• The quantity of work to be performed in a training lesson must be set :
– in accordance with individual abilities, the phase of training and a correct ratio between the volume and the intensity.
Two forms of training dosage:
• External dosage: function of the volume and intensity training
• Internal dosage: expresses the degree and magnitude of fatigue which the athlete experiences in training.
– The size and intensity of internal dosage is affected by each component of the external dosage.
• When planning the external dosage, applying the same dosage does not always produce similar internal reactions.
An adequate training diary and periodic testing may facilitate a reading of internal reaction
The external dosage may be affected by :
*the athlete’s degree of training
*the opponent’s athletic caliber
*equipment
*facilities
*environmental conditions
*social factors
The Relationship between Volume and Adaptation
The positive changes which occur following a systematic training are regarded as the individual’s adaptation to various stimuli
A high volume of work without minimal intensity (e.g. below 30 % of one’s maximum) does not facilitate body adaptation
– The process of an adequate adaptation to training and competition facilitates :
• the increase of athlete’s degree of training,
• correct peaking
• improvement in the athlete’s physical and psychological capacities.
The external dosage should be increased periodically
THE DENSITY OF TRAINING
– the frequency at which an athlete is exposed to a series of stimuli per unit of time
– density refers to the relation expressed in time between working and recovery phases of training.
• Adequate density insures the efficiency of training thus preventing the athletes from reaching from reaching a state of critical fatigue or even exhaustion
– A balanced density may also lead to the achievement of an optimal ratio between training and recovery.
• The rest interval planned between two training sessions depends directly on the intensity and duration of each session
– the athlete’s training status, the phase of training and the specifics of sport may also be considered.
An objective way to calculate the required rest intervals is the HR method:
– prior to applying a new session the HR should slow down to 120-140 bpm
– For development of endurance optimal density is between 2:1-1:1 (first is working time, second is rest interval)
– For strength training (maximum strength or power) the rest interval is indicated to be between 2-5 min. depending on the percentage of load and the rhythm of performance
• Relative Density (RD): the percentage of the volume of work performed by and athlete as compared to the total volume per training lesson
• RD = AV.100
• RV
• AV: absolute volume
• RV: relative volume
• Absolute density (AD): considered to be the ratio between effective work performed by an athlete and the AV
• AD = (AV-VRI)100
• AV
• VRI : Volume of rest intervals
• AV: Absolute volume
THE COMPLEXITY OF TRAINING
• refers to the degree of sophistication of an exercise employed in training
– A complex technical skill or element may cause learning problems and therefore extra muscular strain, especially during the phase when the neuro-muscular co-ordination is superior.
• The Index of the Overall Demand in Training
• The volume, intensity and density are the main components which affect the demand encountered by athletes in training
• The evolution of the curve of these components, especially the volume and intensity has to be guided in direct relationship with
– the athlete’s index of adaptation, phase of training and the competition schedule.
• The science of knitting the components of training may facilitate a correct peaking for the main competition.
• The index of overall demand:
IOD = OI . AD . AV
10,000
• OI (Overall Intensity)
• AD (Absolute Density)
• AV (Absolute Volume)